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2019/07/03

Maybe the human heart is inspired by an impression of standing courageous, stalwart and resolute amid a fury of sea and storm? Is that some of my fascination, looking over the shoulder of this light at the precipice and imagining the crashing turbulence it faces?

How is our reaction different, looking back from offshore?

This view might remind us of the keepers. On clear days like this did they pause in labors like cleaning windows, painting, fixing, polishing the mirror, and tending all the routine? Maybe quietly befriending a seabird, or just standing at that high railing to survey the vast panorama? Coupled with the light and foghorn themselves, do we feel an appreciation of these guardians patiently guiding explorers, travelers and commerce safely through the hazards of darkness and weather?

⧜

I’m curious whether anyone was able to figure out the crossview 3D trick described in my previous post, and since nobody has complained so far I’ll toss in this one of the light in context with Anacapa Island’s carved eastern tip and the adjacent rock arch. I like how the 3D effect enhances the detail and texture of this perspective.

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2019/07/01

Flying the Santa Ynez Valley is always interesting and fun, but often remarkably beautiful too. That was the case on this February flight, when we saw some effects from a welcome return of near-normal rain to our region. After the horrors of our monstrous Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flow, it was reassuring to see a light tinge of green on the barren mountains around Jameson Lake.

9311 Jameson Hinting Green

Beyond the full lake and burnt mountains far into the eastern distance, snow on the farthest peaks filled our hearts with hope of a gentler 2019 Summer. To the North, unburned slopes just beyond the Santa Ynez River valley weren’t so far away.

9346 Blued Green Beyond Brown

The different sun angle on moist air made those green slopes look more blue to the camera than to our refreshed eyes. We wondered how much of that still mostly bare foreground slope would erode down into the river valley lakes. Nearing the airport and town of Santa Ynez, the Bradbury Dam on Lake Cachuma was releasing a token amount of precious water to nourish the ground water and the river habitat.

9348 Bradbury Water Release

Last up for this small selection of pix from that flight, I’ll offer a touch of how those distant snowy peaks looked to us. Unlike these flat two-dimensional camera pix, most people see in 3D. Even so, many people have trouble seeing 3D on a 2D medium like a standard tablet or computer screen. When I was a kid we once had a Viewmaster that made it easier. Recently we splurged on a few pair of $20 DLP Link 3D glasses for our inexpensive used Optoma projector to watch a few BluRay 3D movies on the 93″ screen. Anyway, that stimulated me to make up this 3D image of the snowy peaks.

0231 Deeper Peek at Peaks

Now since few people will have a Viewmaster or 3D projector, I’ve made this image for the “crossview” type of “free viewing” that only requires learning the trick. If you’ve followed this blog, my Photo Page, or Edhat posts for long, you’ve seen me share some 3D over the years. Many people have enjoyed them, and many others have been unable to master the trick. I recently came across an excellent Iowa State University crossview tutorial that might help. As always, feel free to use our Contact Us form to share your success (or frustration), or to let us know if you’d like me to share one of the 3D pix I’m creating for display using our new DLP Link 3D glasses. They’ll work on Optoma or any of the many compatible projectors (possibly not compatible with the much more expensive DLP Link TVs).

ps-Anne’s computer didn’t display the two most helpful “animated GIF” files in that ISU tutorial, so here they are in the hope you can see them here if not on that site.
…What you perceive might be something like the animation below.
…Since you learned distance control in step 1, align your four squares so that the two in the middle overlap. The “X” will help you do this with precision. What you perceive might be something like the animation below.

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2019/06/26

Santa Barbarians have a long tradition of fun gatherings, and our favorite is the annual Summer Solstice Parade. This year it unfolded beneath a mostly soft overcast, with the sun peeking through just often enough to confound manual camera settings. Still, here are some of our pic pix from this sweet event starting with kids in the street as the parade approached.

0001 Family Fun

Soon the parade arrived with a group of dancing flamingos showing off their amazing high kicks, some perhaps learned back in high school.

0786 Kick Off

This year there were several floats with acrobats, like this one who adroitly balanced on a pole as their bouncing float was pushed uphill by volunteers (no motorized vehicles in this parade).

0789 Seahorse Acrobat

People of all ages join the parade, and the variety of expressions they wear hint at intriguing inner worlds.

0822 Faraway Eyes

Next to catch our eye was this kid in an interesting mask who like many in the parade and in the crowd, noticed our cameras.

0830 Hidden Eyes

Speaking of the crowd, one of my own interests is observing the observers who populate balconies and windows slightly above the crowd.

0832 Sociologists?

Another flamingo theme seemed to focus on kiddie pools and inflatable toys.

0844 Flamingo Flourish

We don’t know what the theme of this small group was, but we enjoyed watching their interactions.

0851 Bubble Heads

These very similar costumes may have been part of the group, but for some reason their helium balloons tied through nylons clearly evoked antennae.

0859 Feelers

This next group caught me catching them, and warmly welcomed the notice.

0867 Happy High

Some of the floats were especially magical and artistic for us, like this massive sculpture contemplatively inviting us into a deeper consciousness in the boisterous flow of colorful life.

0873 Gaia?

She was followed by a large smiling sun reflecting the mild warmth of this event.

0883 Seasonal Warmth

In a group of gracefully rolling butterflies, one was serenely walking with a flat tire.

0884 Grounded

In reference again to the crowd, check out the delighted kids at the left below enjoying the little dog.

0886 Kids & Dogs

This rolling butterfly on a hoverboard hints at some quality of Blues Brothers meets Ghostbusters.

0887 Orange is the new Butterfly

Behind a personal pedicab was this high-stepper (for a guy) escorting a gray bunny bike.

0938 Bunny Bike

Another acrobatic float featured three gals hanging out in hoops.

0950 Happy Hoopers

After many other delights, all too soon parade’s end approached. Usually last is this Pali inflatable acrobatic float.

0967 In The Bubble

There was also some combination of an intricately carved dragon and dark lion show in the parade finale, maybe referencing a movie we’ve not seen?

0973 Intricate Dragon

A tradition in our parades is eggshells filled with confetti. So following the last float with dancers and drummers came a crew with brooms pushing it all into the street for circling machines to collect for disposal. One of them paused long enough for us to snap this street chalk art message.

Chalk Art

A large crowd follows the last float to our stately 3-park complex where the floats are parked, and people in the parade mingle with the crowd. There are always several musical groups and drum circles performing amid the food and craft booths under the canopy of patient old trees.

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2019/06/11

February flying reminded me of the “water cycle” that land-based life depends on, starting with this view of the Devereux Slough. Clouds over the channel South of Campus Point were inching inland carrying water picked up from the ocean, purified by evaporation.

In the hills to the North, water that had previously fallen on the mountain slopes above was finding its way down waterfalls on a private road just above Goleta.

0146 Private Paradise

Higher up the slope we saw many other seasonal falls like this one tumbling from a quiet pond, and carving shapes into sandstone laid down in ancient seas.

0149 Passing Delight

One of my favorite local waterfalls was running even during the drought near San Marcos Pass just below a bend in highway 154. After the strong recent rain there it was gushing.

0153 Fast Water

From a different angle you can see how ripples in the flow interact with undulating ripples in the smooth rock beneath.

0156 Dual Ripples

Revisiting the popular Seven Falls, even in light dimmed by gathering high clouds the flow there looked stronger too.

0162 Seven Falls

On maximum zoom the camera provided a better look at the many beautiful pools beneath this string of short waterfalls.

0164 Bubbling Pools

We relish how this region ranges from the austerity of near desert conditions sometimes, to verdant seasons of misty moisture. Looking toward the East along Montecito’s coast was this summary view softened by water in air, sea and vegetation.